More cold weather, a bit more snow

After lighting up the first Christmas tree to decorate the lawn of the Governor's Mansion on Tuesday night, Gov. Kenny Guinn invited the chilly onlookers inside for milk and cookies.

A gusty cold front moved across Carson Country on Tuesday afternoon and left those attending the tree lighting bundled from head to foot to ward off the chill.

Dressed in formal attire, Gov. Kenny Guinn and first lady Dema Guinn flipped the switch Tuesday evening.

The Carson High School Choir under the direction of Stewart Peebles sang special holiday selections before and after the lighting of the tree and Santa Claus was present with a full-size sleigh and reindeer. He handed out candy canes to all the children.

The colder weather is just the start of winter weather that will carry through to Friday.

The National Weather Service forecast shows a break in the weather pattern today but predicts colder temperatures.

"The storm Thursday should have a little bit more snowfall for the mountain areas," said Mark Deutschendorf, meteorologist in Reno. "It's not going to be a real monster storm but should bring a little more snow than the previous storms have produced."

Today's high temperatures are expected to be in the 40-45 degree range, with the lows dipping to the low 20s.

On Thursday, residents can expect some rain and snow starting in the afternoon, he said, and the winds will pick up again. High are expected to be in the 40-45 degree range. Lows should creep into the mid-teens.

"Snow will continue through the night and into Friday morning," Deutschendorf said.

He said that light snow is expected to reach the valley floor Thursday night, with a high chance of heavier snow levels in the mountains on the west slopes of the Sierra.

"It's still a little too early to predict what will happen on the east side of Lake Tahoe," he said. "It's still a too early to track."

On Friday, the snow showers should end in the morning, and the highs are expected to reach into the 40s.

Deutschendorf said the weekend looks to be dry on both days with chilly temperatures.